THE GOSHAWK. 



65 





The jerfalcon dashes at every flying creature that may take its fancy, and attacks successfully 

 the largest winged game. But the Goshawk, although possessed of the most undaunted 

 courage and of great muscular power, is unable to cope with such opponents, and prefers ter- 

 restrial to aerial quarry. Owing to the shape of the wing, and comparative shortness of the 

 feathers, the Goshawk is unable to take long flights, or to urge a lengthened and persevering 

 chase. Moreover, although its courage is of the most determined character, it soon loses heart 

 if often baffled by the same quarry, and in such cases will turn sulky and yield the chase. 



When trained, the Goshawk is best employed at hares, rabbits, and other furred game, 

 and in this particular sport is unrivalled. Its mode of hunting is singularly like that of the 

 chetah, which has already been men- 

 tioned in the volume on the Mammalia. 

 Like that animal, it is not nearly so 

 swift as its prey, and therefore is ob- 

 liged to steal upon them, and seize its 

 victim by a sudden and unexpected 

 pounce. When it has once grasped its 

 prey, it is rarely found to loose its 

 hold, even by the most violent strug- 

 gles or the most furious attack. The 

 gripe is so enormously powerful, that 

 a Goshawk has often been observed to 

 pounce upon a large hare, and to main- 

 tain its hold even though the animal 

 sprang high into the air, and then 

 rolled upon the ground, in the vain 

 hope of shaking off his feathered an- 

 tagonist. Only the female bird is able 

 to cope with so powerful a creature as 

 a full-grown hare or rabbit ; for the 

 male, although more swift of wing, and 

 therefore better adapted for chasing 

 birds than the female, is comparatively 

 feeble. 



It never attempts to follow its 

 quarry into cover, as is done by the 

 Peregrine and Merlin, but if its in- 

 tended prey should seek safety in some 

 place of refuge, the Goshawk perches 



upon a convenient bough and waits patiently. As the hawk is very endurant of hunger, although 

 sufficiently ravenous when it meets with a supply of food, it "wins, like Fabius, by delay," 

 and pounces upon the unlucky quarry, as it steals out in search of food or water. When it 

 has once seized its prey, it is full of exultation, and being generally rather of a ferocious dis- 

 position, is apt to turn savagely upon the hand that attempts to remove it from its victim. 

 Its temper, indeed, is so bad, that if it should happen to escape from its jesses and get among 

 other Falcons, it will almost certainly attack and kill as many of them as it can reach, For 

 the same reason it needs to be kept constantly hooded, and is less to be trusted at liberty than 

 any other Falcon. Its short flights, however, render its recapture a comparatively easy mat- 

 ter, so that there is but little danger of losing it. 



Its constitution is very hardy, und as it will feed on almost any animal nourishment, it 

 gives very little trouble to its owner. 



This species is found spread over nearly the whole of Europe and Asia, and has also been 

 seen in Northern Africa. The nest of this bird is generally placed on the topmost boughs 

 of some lofty tree, and the eggs are of a uniform spotless blue- white. Their number is from 

 three to four, and the young are hatched about May or the beginning of June. 



VOL. II. 9. 



GOSHAWK. Aitur jtaiumbunine. 



